


Chair of Eldraine — The meandering quest

by LucioBaracca



Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 21:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucioBaracca/pseuds/LucioBaracca
Summary: Magic: the gathering used to publish their lore through free, short stories on their site, but they stopped and went back to classic full-length novels, clearly the only reasonable move was to write my own short stories. Chair of Eldraine is my take on the upcoming lore of the game, before we actually know anything concrete about the setting.





	1. Chance encounter

Rowan emerged from the underbrush, her boots covered in mud, her arms scratched and her red outfit full of holes and tears. Two days of walking through the woods alone hadn’t been easy, but she was finally out, in front of her the King’s Road to Ardenvale running through hills and groves all the way to the sea, a thin, shimmering line in the distance.  
She took a deep breath, the warm wind from the sea was a pleasant change from the stale, damp air of the woods.

A few hundred meters away, she noticed a caravan stopped by the side of the road. There were a dozen carriages, but only a couple were carrying people, the others were large cages, most of them covered by large sheets. She could see a few people, merchants from the look of it. They didn’t seem dangerous so she approached them without drawing her sword.

“Hello, traveller.” Called one of the merchants, a middle-aged man wearing glasses, a simple brown leather apron over a white shirt and long leather boots. When he waved at her, Rowan noticed he was missing two fingers.   
As she approached, she noticed the cages were holding some very strange creatures: large beasts covered in colourful feathers, some of them had long snouts and sharp teeth, others had horns and scales and plates.   
One cage, in particular, attracted her attention: it was bent and crooked, as if smashed by some powerful creature, but the beast inside didn’t seem very strong: red feathers covering most of its body and tail except the grey snout and the legs, similar to those of a large chicken, with one very large sickle-shaped finger held up like a weapon.   
On the cage, a bent brass plate read “Ferocidon (Warning: rampages)”

“We are going towards the capital, hoping to sell these magnificent beasts. And you? Travelling alone?” Asked the man.  
“Sadly, I am. I usually travel with my twin brother but he has been kidnapped. I am looking for him, in fact.”  
“Uh…”  
“I am a planeswalker, you see, and so is he, but we share the same spark so our powers are lessened if we aren’t together.”  
“I don’t remember asking your life story, why are you-“  
“I’m looking for another planeswalker, we often attract each other, but how to find one? Well, I’ve heard of someone selling creatures called dinosaurs in this area, they are animals from another plane, so I thought if I find them, I can find a planeswalker, then find my brother.”  
“I don’t care, stop — wait, dinosaurs?”  
“Yes.”

The man stared at Rowan with a baffled expression, Rowan stared back at him, confused.  
The man looked around, Rowan did the same. She didn’t know what they were looking at.  
“Dinosaurs.” Said the man.  
“Yes. You know where I can find any?”  
“Do you know what a dinosaur looks like?”  
Rowan looked at him silently for a few seconds.  
“Oh. I had never thought of that. I know they are big, so, probably they look like an elephant, maybe?”  
“How do you even… damn planeswalkers. These are dinosaurs, you dumbass.” He yelled, pointing   
“Whaat? These are clearly birds, they have feathers and stuff.”  
“Yes, that’s how dinosaurs look.”  
“That’s crazy.”  
The other members of the caravan were approaching the two, attracted by all the screaming.  
“You’re a planeswalker, how do you not know what dinosaurs look like?”  
“Well excuse me, mister expert of all animals, I never planeswalked to their plane, I didn’t know planeswalker law said I have to go to dinosaurland. I’ve been to a plane with elephants, do you know what those look like?”  
“Yes.”  
“Well, That’s, fuck you.”  
“Why are you angry at me now? What is your problem?”  
“Hold on, you’re the guy selling dinosaurs.”  
Before the man could reply, she grabbed him and slammed him against a nearby cage, easily lifting him with just one arm, and slapped him in the face.  
“Where did you bring my brother you piece of shit? Where is he? Talk before I rip your liver out!”  
The man screamed, the people around rushed towards the two to stop her, but the noise had awaked all the nearby dinosaurs that had started wailing and roaring and rattling their cages. Only a couple of people were able to get on Rowan, trying to pull her away from the old man, while the others run to calm the beasts.

Even without her brother, Rowan was still a powerful half-planeswalker, and the presents had no chance of stopping her. She easily pushed them away while slamming the old man against the cage.  
“Where is he? Where is he? Why won’t you talk? Talk!”  
“I don’t know, you psychopath.” Screamed the old man “I’m not a planeswalker.”  
Rowan grabbed the old man and gently put him down.  
“What a funny misunderstanding. Could you kindly tell me who sold you these creatures?”  
The old man, sweating and panting, fell on the ground. “By the gods, what is your problem?”  
Rowan shrugged with a smile.  
“You were gonna kill me!”  
“It’s not my fault if you can’t talk clearly.”  
“I-you-what-” In a mixture of confusion, rage, fear and pain, the old man was unable to form complete sentences.  
“I’m not telling you anything, you maniac. Leave before we have you arrested.”  
Rowan noticed the other members of the caravan were gathering around them, weapons in hand.  
“Well, I can notice when I am not wanted. I guess I’m just gonna leave. I hope you will sleep well knowing my brother could die because you didn’t help me.”  
“Don’t even try, woman. I couldn’t care less for you or your family.”  
“Jeez, you guys are so ill-tempered. Okay, whatever, I’m leaving. I thought hospitality meant something in this plane, guess I was wrong. ”  
Nobody replied, in part because they wanted her to leave, and in part because they were scared of her.

Rowan had just started walking away when a deep, confident voice called her: “Wait, Planeswalker Rowan.” Rowan and all the caravan members looked around, confused.  
Again the voice spoke: “Halt thyself, do not leave without me.” They realized it was coming from the ferocidon cage.  
“Did… did the dinosaur speak?” whispered one of the caravan members.  
“I did speak, human.” Replied the ferociodon “For I am Tzilpocht, prince of all ferociodons, third of my name, and I know something about your brother, planeswalker Rowan. Free me, and I shall accompany you in your search, as you will heed me in mine.”  
“You can talk?” Yelled the old man “All this time you were intelligent?”  
“My wisdom is as deep as the ocean, human.” Replied Tzilpocht.  
“But then…. Why? You always attack us, you bite us when we feed you, you ate two of my fingers.”  
“Question not the ways of the ferociodons, human. Our traditions are lost on your feeble mind.”  
“Jimmy lost an arm trying to clean you!”  
“As is tradition.”  
“I don’t…. You know what? Leave. Leave together, you two will be perfect for each other. Get the fuck out of here and never come back. Please don’t come back.”

The merchants opened the cage, Rowan opened her arms, welcoming her new companion and with blinding speed Tzilpocht jumped at her, jaws open, claws out. She barely had time to pull out her sword and block his bite with it. The two tumbled onto the ground, Tzilpocht roaring and screaming, whipping his tail around.   
They rolled over for a bit, Tzilpocht clawing her on the arms and chest as she tried to push him away. She put her hand on the dinosaur chest and summoned a bolt of lightning that exploded in her palm, sending the beast flying away. The merchants around got thrown to the ground by the blast and blinded by the flash.  
With his chest blackened and smoking, Tzilpocht got back up and said “Enough with the formalities, it’s time we depart. I salute you, my incognizant companions, merchants of beasts, and may we meet again in more joyous circumstances.”  
Rowan also got back up, massaging the wounds on her arms, “You’re a pretty wild one.” She said with a smile “I like you.” the two waved at the merchants and left.  
The merchants didn’t reply since most of them were on the ground, moaning in pain.

“By the way, what is that you know about my brother?” Asked Rowan to her new companion.  
“I, prince between the ferocidon, with many of my kind, was kidnapped from my world. I am on a quest to get my subjects back and descend furious vengeance upon the fool that angered me.”  
“They brought you across planes? How so?”  
“I do not know.”  
“Of course. What does that have to do with my brother, anyway?”  
“‘t was a planeswalker that kidnapped us, one clad in shiny armour. When he brought us here, I saw he had companions in this world. They also were in the business of stealing people, and I saw them carrying a human in blue clothes, they spoke his name, Will.”  
“That is my brother, yeah. Where did this happen, and when?”  
“Not more than a moon ago. Follow me, I shall take you to where I last saw him.”  
“Lead the way.”

The merchants, at least the few still standing, looked at the two as they left. One of them approached the old man with a concerned expression “Do you realize what you did? Those two are a catastrophe, we just freed a calamity on the world.”  
“I’m aware, and right now I don’t care. I’m getting drunk and going to sleep, when I wake up we’ll think about it. But yes, those two need to be stopped before they kill someone. Damn red mana people, they are just the worst.”


	2. Hunt the hunter

The duo followed the road for a few hours without any real hitch besides the time lost when, during the trip, Tzilpocht assaulted and devoured three rabbits, six birds, one hog, two deers and one treant, broke through a carriage and wounded sixteen other travellers going in the opposite direction.   
They reached the small town of Hillenburg, a little community nestled on the edge of an ancient forest not far from the capital.  
“I need the wounds suffered during my confinement to be mended.” said Tzilpocht, “let us stop and look for a healer of animals.”  
“Good idea, I should probably do the same, and also get my clothes fixed.”

Rowan knew of a veterinarian in town, so the two went there.   
The doctors were very surprised in seeing Tzilpocht, as it was to be expected. They seemed very eager to get a look at such a strange animal. Rowan sat down in their waiting room, a simple local with wooden benches, while they carried the ferocidon in the back.  
Initially, she could hear them talking with excitement, then roars, screams and noises of broken wood and shattering glass. The walls of the clinic started shaking violently.

There was another person in the waiting room, sitting just a few meters away from Rowan: an old man with grey hair and ebony skin wearing a black cloak with golden trimmings. Two ravens were sitting on his shoulders.  
“Excuse me, miss, I noticed your animal, that was a dinosaur, wasn’t it?” said the old man.  
“Mh? Oh, yeah. He’s pretty cool, isn’t he?” Replied Rowan.  
“An impressive creature, I agree. Say, dinosaurs aren’t common in this plane if I’m not mistaken. Are you perhaps a planeswalker?”  
“I am, yes. Are you one as well?”  
“In fact, I am one. Didn’t expect to meet a colleague here. A planeswalker with dinosaurs, is your name Huatli, by any chance?”  
“Oh, no. Me and him just started travelling together recently. Huatli is the, the poet warrior I believe? I’ve read something by her, I think.”  
“I and him. Anyway, she’s quite popular, yes. I was just wondering, since you don’t really look like her but I don’t know of any other that travels with dinosaurs.”  
“I don’t usually do it, no. I’m just a regular warrior, my brother and me are a duo, no animals.”  
“And I. Is your brother a planeswalker as well?”  
“Yes, in fact, we share the same spark, so we always travel together.”  
“That so? I didn’t know that was possible. Interesting.”  
“it’s kind of our thing. Our gimmick, you know.” Rowan replied with a smile.  
“I understand very well, back in my days, I’m quite old you see, being a planeswalker was a lot simpler, before the mending you just needed good work ethic and a little elbow grease. Today It’s all about showmanship and weird powers.”  
The old man scoffed, muttering “That damned Jeska” under his breath.  
  
“So true. Gotta work to stand out from the crowd, if you want to be taken seriously.” agreed Rowan.   
“Me, personally, I have these ravens. It’s not much, but I’m too old for flashy gimmicks, and they do the job just fine.”  
“I noticed, really nice birds. Is that why you’re here?”  
“Yes, sadly one of them hurt a wing, the doctors are looking her right now.”  
“Sorry to hear that.”  
“No problem, it happens. They are very delicate creatures, you see. Very sensible. Say, is your brother not here? I’d like to meet him, talk about this shared spark thing.”  
“Oh, he’s been kidnapped.”  
“That’s terrible!”   
“Eh, it happens. It’s a dangerous multiverse.”  
“If I can do anything to help, what’s his name?”  
“Will. Will Kenrith. Blue mana user, ice powers.”  
The old man pulled out a small notebook from his cloak and didn’t speak for a few minutes, mumbling to himself while flipping through it.  
“Mmh, Teferi, Tezzeret, Tony… Mmhh… Oh, here it is, Will. Gladiator, ice, blonde… Sorry, I have almost nothing on him. I’d like to help you more.”   
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m sure I’ll find him soon. Thanks for the help. Say, are you a blue and black mana user by any chance?”  
“I am, how did you know?”  
“When I saw the ravens I thought pure black, but you seem very organized and polite, real blue vibe. You have mind powers as well, I think? I’ve felt you trying to probe my brain for a while now.”  
“Oh, I’m very sorry about that, I didn’t mean to.”  
“No worries, my brother does the same sometimes, I know it happens by accident to blue mages.”  
“While we’re at it, I bet you use red mana.” replied the old man with a smile.  
“Yes, I do. How?”  
“First, your dress, very red. Second, you’re bleeding profusely and don’t seem to care. Classic red attitude.”  
“Oh yeah, I am bleeding. Well anyway-”  
The two were interrupted when the door to the clinic slammed open and a very tall man walked in.   
A musclebound brute with a metallic mask that covered the top of his head and eyes, wearing a ragged, black jacket with fur trimmings, wielding an axe as tall as himself. Behind him was a large beast, some sort of hairy goat thing, with numerous arrows sticking out of its side.  
“Doctor.” Yelled the man “Mend my companion, I am in a hurry.”   
Receiving no reply, he yelled again “Doctor!” and punched a wall, leaving a large hole in the wood.

“Uhm, excuse me?” said Rowan. The man looked down at her with hate-filled eyes, “What is it, woman?” he growled, “I have no time to waste.”  
“Okay, first of all, rude. Second, there is a queue, so, I don’t know what kind of backwater, uncivilized jungle you crawled out of, but this is Eldraine, we got a thing called manners. Maybe you ought to learn them.”  
“How dare you talk to me like that? I will murder you. You, I can smell the spark in you, little girl. It will be my pleasure to hunt you down like the-”

The old man eyes glowed of intense amber light, he snapped his fingers, a flash of blue filled the room and a bright circle appeared in the floor below the beastly man. He screamed as he was being dragged down inside of the circle, much too small for him.   
The hunter and beast got twisted and turned like wet rugs as they disappeared into the hole, swearing and wailing.  
“What a douche.” Remarked Rowan when the hole had closed.  
“Seriously. Some planeswalkers think they’re the kings of the multiverse. Where has humility gone.” Agreed the old man.  
“He was one as well?”  
“Yeah, I think I know him, Gary? Something like that. I think I got him cursed, or I owe him money, not sure which one.

As the two were talking, the wall behind them exploded in a cloud of splinters and Tzilpocht emerged from it, covered in blood.  
“We have wasted enough time here, my travelling companion. Let us depart.” Roared the dinosaur.  
“Did they heal you?” She asked.  
“No.”  
“Great, Let’s go. It was a pleasure meeting you, mister… I don’t think I caught your name.”  
“Michael Miller, but I usually go by Raven Man.”  
“I’ll remember that. I hope to meet you again, perhaps with my brother.”  
“That would be nice, yes. Bye.”  
“Bye.”  
“Salutations old man that I don’t know.” Yelled in his face Tzilpocht as he passed by.  
“Uh, yeah, bye talking dinosaur.”

Leaving the village, the two decided to cut through the forest, hoping to reach a nearby town hidden in it that Rowan knew pretty well.

The raven man looked with a smile at the two as they left. What an interesting duo, he thought. Maybe it would be worth sticking around Eldraine for a while.  
From the broken wall, a veterinarian covered in blood crawled out and grabbed one of his shoes.  
“Help, please.”  
“Uh? Oh, damn. That looks bad.” He pulled out a vial from his cloak and helped the man drink him. In an instant, his wounds closed and he regained lucidity.   
The veterinarian tried to get back up, but he started coughing violently, spitting black gunk.  
“Oh. Oh no.” Said the Raven Man, suddenly turning pale.  
“What the fuck did you give me?” Asked the veterinarian. He had started to tear up and wheeze.  
“I’m sorry, I forgot this is my cursed medicine, I didn’t mean to. Gods, this is bad.”  
“Cursed? Ah, don’t worry.” Replied the veterinarian as he slowly straightened himself. He was still breathing heavily, but he seemed to be improving. “If it’s black magic, I am protected against it. Perks of being a healer.”  
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that. I’m really sorry, again, I didn’t mean to.”  
“It’s fine, still got me healed. Give me a hand, there are other doctors to help."


End file.
